Highland Hellcat: Scottish Highlands Trilogy, Book two [Mass Market Paperback]

Readers first met the hero, Connor Lindsey, in To Conquer a Highlander where he was a charismatic rogue who was setting off to claim his rumored wayward betrothed bride. This book, Highland Hellcat, begins with Connor finding that his bride is no longer pure and in a dilemma of how to keep a critical clan alliance while satisfying the demands of the clan that relies on him to lead them during precarious times.

I was looking forward to this story because of the hero....to see him get his day in the sun so to speak...going from an intriguing secondary character to primary hero. Unfortunately, I felt that Connor took the backseat to his heroine Brina, and the book focused more on her and her motivations than Connor's. I was disappointed that so much of the focus of the book was on Brina....even though I did like her as a heroine.

Much of the story is dedicated to Brina, and her unwavering belief that she cannot marry Connor (even though she grows to love him) without her father's consent and be able to keep her honor. Honor is very important to Brina. Honor, honor, honor. By the end of the book I wanted her to throw her honor out the window. I was frustrated by the need to reiterate this again and again. Instead I wished the reader would have been given more moments where Brina realized the freedom that fate has gifted her with instead of being given to a convent. I wanted her to realize that her training to become a mother superior wasn't in vain, that she could employ that training as the laird's wife...and all of the power and good she could do in that role. Brina fought so hard against marrying Connor to save her honor, that she seemed to have missed the point that she could have her cake (Connor) and eat it too (power and importance of a mother superior in her role as laird's wife). I wanted her to waiver more between her love vs her honor. If she couldn't have both I wanted her to choose Connor...I didn't come away from the story convinced of that.

Because Connor was born out of wedlock (but to two loving parents who later married) his illegitimacy, and his need to prove to his people that he is the right man to lead his clan, he needed to have a wife whose purity was above reproach. However, by capturing Brina and taking her outside of the bonds of marriage, could cause any children that they could be subjected to the same stigma and treatment Connor himself received...and what he was so desperate to avoid in his own marriage and offspring. In the end he goes against what he feels that his clan needs because he loved her...at least that is what I am assuming because this was barely addressed in the book, but felt that it should have played a larger part in the story since he refused to marry Brina's sister because of her impurity. I felt that it at least should have held the same amount of importance as Brina's honor.

Besides those two sticking points, I really enjoyed the historical tidbits that were interwoven into the story. Bath houses, the political unrest at the time due to a king that was a child, the importance of the role of each daughter born to man such as a laird. I wanted to like Highland Hellcat more than I actually did. I couldn't wait to read Connor's story, but after reading it I was completely indifferent to him as a hero in Hellcat. In the end too much of the story revolved around Brina's honor, and since she was the main focus of the story I didn't feel like she grew enough as a heroine to make up for the lack of character in Connor, which is why I felt this was just an average romance with little to set it above a mediocre love story...I was saddened by that.

Ratings:

Overall: 3.0 stars
Sensuality level: 2.75

This is book 2 in a series of highlanders, but you can just jump right in here. The hero in this book is mentioned in book 1 since he is a friend of that hero, but the couple from book 1 is not mentioned here. Only the hero that will be in book 3. So, no OCD troubles, you all know I like to talk about that.

Connor Lindsay is planned to marry Deirdre Chattan, but she has been naught and he is upset but still need the alliance but without people doubting if his children are his. So he does what every good highlander would do, kidnaps her virtuous sister that is on her way to a convent. Sparks will fly.

Yay more bride stealing business, this one should be called the bride stealing series. I do like those rugged highlanders stealing brides, but only if they are nice to them. And Connor at once see that Brina is more than just a meek woman raised to be a nun, she can hunt, and she is a hellcat. But at the same time she has learnt nothing about men, and every touch makes her skittish. But who would not melt when a handsome man in a kilt sets out to seduce her, and he is so honourable too, he wants to marry her, but it's she who says no. She has promised her father to become a nun. I do like that it's he who wants her so much, and she who wants to keep that promise.

A lot of other things are happening too, her father is upset, a daughter of his must become a bride of Christ, one sister is not happy about her upcoming marriage, there is the Deirdre scandal (and she is the heroine of book 3, I wonder if her man will steal her away). A neighbouring clan has Connor's sister captive, and he fears they will attack his lands. But mostly it is a about a woman and a man, falling in love, finding passion, and trying to figure out how they can be together.

The negative part is the trouble I have with most Scottish Highlander books, the accent, kind of wish that would be skipped.

Other than that is was a romantic, and sometimes steamy book. It goes without saying, a highlander is a devil in bed. And a hellcat, she takes some time to be tamed.

Final thoughts: A good story about a highlander stealing his bride.

Mary Wine is a skillful storyteller who creates romantic tales full of intrigue, love and just enough flare of drama to keep readers flipping the pages.

Brina Chattan is the youngest of the Chattan daughters. Promised to the church, Brina knows her purpose in life. Of three daughters, Brina has easily accepted the reality of her father's promise to the abbey. Though she is feisty and strong-willed, Brina believes that she will bring some good to the church and Scotland. But when her sister Deirdre, who is promised to marry Connor Lindsey, escapes one night to seek passion in the arms of a Douglas man, the life Brina has grown to know changes forever. Connor has his own agenda for marrying a Chattan daughter. His sister has been abducted by the Douglas clan and they refuse to return her. He needs to form strong reputable relationships with the other Highlanders and the Chattan clan is just where he wants to start. But after he discovers Deirdre has betrayed him, he sets off to secure his alliance even if it means stealing the bride of Christ himself.

On her way to the abbey with her father, Brina is stolen from her clan by Laird Lindsey. She is shocked that a man would dare commit such a crime to gain an allegiance. She demands and fights to be taken to the abbey to become a nun but Connor refuses. He is surprised to learn firsthand that Brina is a hellcat, not a woman to be taken lightly.

For the better part of the book, the two remain in a constant battle. She refuses to relent to be his wife, and he refuses to return her back to her father. The alpha male and the hellcat made for some interesting scenes. I enjoyed the banter and quick dialogue between the characters.

Since Brina has been raised to prepare herself for the church, she has never had certain luxuries in life. When she arrives at the Lindsey compound, she has to adapt to being waited on and being viewed as the mistress of the house. I love how she slowly becomes exposed to the real world and enjoys the simple treasures of life.

The first touch of his lips was soul shattering. She jerked, her hands coming up to plant solidly against his chest and push with every ounce of strength that she had. She twisted her face away from his, escaping from the kiss for a moment.

"No one has ever kissed me!" she shrieked, unable to remain composed. She struck out at him, her nails trying to find something soft to dig into."

"A fact that needs changing."

Though Connor is a true alpha male, he realizes Brina is not only innocent in flesh but innocent to the world at large. I appreciated that he is strong-willed, making sure Brina knows he will not change his mind, but his approach to getting her to agree to be his bride is slow.

In spite of her temper, his voice remained controlled and husky. He leaned down and placed another soft kiss against her cheek. "Admit that ye enjoy it, Brina. I swear that I do as well, for ye lips are as sweet as honey."

She shivered, the dark promise in his voice threatening to lure her away like a fairy song from legend.

"But... it's... sinful..."

The love scenes are beautiful and descriptive. Connor is skillful in making sure Brina enjoys the passions between the sheets.

If you enjoy a good Highland story, then Highland Hellcat is worth picking up.

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